An attempt to help explain the mysteries and magic that are part and parcel of 'probation'.

Friday, 7 November 2014

Open Letter to Simon Hughes MP

Dear Sir,

The game is up mate! It's time to face reality and do the honourable thing - follow your colleague Norman Baker and resign your ministerial post. Lets face it, you and the Liberal Democrats got it hopelessly wrong with probation and TR and are looking at electoral oblivion in just six months time.Splitting the Probation Service in two has done no one any favours by creating havoc everywhere and to be honest it would have been far better if you'd have just let the Tories get on and try and privatise the whole lot. Instead, obviously knowing absolutely nothing about the Probation Service, you and Nick Clegg thought it was a clever wheeze to insist on a daft and dangerous split under the spurious guise of supervising the under 12 month custody people. This can never be successfully achieved on the cheap through privatisation and you've been hood-winked by Graylings endless repeating of the '£46 pounds in their pocket' crap. Your only hope of salvaging something from the mess you've helped the Tories create is to admit you were wrong, pick an easy fight with your boss Chris Grayling, and heroically march out of the Ministry of Justice with head held high.Now I know you think you've put enough blue water between yourself and the 'nasty party' by your belated outpourings in the Independent yesterday, but let me tell you, it really doesn't cut the mustard with us! We are not impressed with crocodile tears, belated thoughts about 'nasty' Chris Grayling or any plans you've dreamt up about stopping too many people going to prison. Unless we hear 'mea culpa' over TR, you have no friends in the Probation Service:-

In an interview with The Independent, Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem Justice Minister, criticised his Tory boss Chris Grayling, for saying that “in many cases prison works”. He disputed the Justice Secretary’s claim that there is “no crisis” in overcrowded jails and admitted he was worried about the number of suicides and assaults. Mr Hughes insisted: “For a large number of people, prison hasn’t worked and isn’t working.”

Accusing the Tories of adopting “sticking plaster solutions”, Mr Hughes said the “revolving door” in which criminals often return to jail after their release meant more crimes and more victims. “This way madness lies,” he declared. “It is a complete dead end.”

His scathing criticism is the latest example of the Lib Dems distancing themselves from their Coalition partners in the run-up to next May’s general election. On Tuesday, The Independent revealed that Norman Baker was resigning as the Lib Dem minister at the Home Office after a series of disputes with Theresa May, the Home Secretary. Senior Tories have accused Nick Clegg of “desperation” after failing to revive his party’s dismal standing in the opinion polls. The Lib Dems insist they will continue to highlight the differences between the two parties.

Unlike Mr Baker, Mr Hughes will not resign but, after 11 months at the Ministry of Justice, has drawn up a radical blueprint which could halve the 85,000 prison population in England and Wales through a dramatic reduction in the number of people serving short jail terms. They would serve community-based punishments instead.It costs £35,000 a year to keep someone in jail. He admitted his plan to halve the population would not halve the £3.3bn prisons budget but insisted it would yield significant savings because the alternatives were cheaper. “Every time someone is outside, they have a chance to work and provide for their families. It is a win-win all the time with fewer people inside,” he said.

Mr Hughes, you seem unable to recognise that this aspiration is just so much hot air, not least because you've been party to smashing the award-winning probation mechanism that would be necessary to fulfil this promise and have replaced it with utter chaos. In another part of the Independent we learn more about the ideas:-

Mr Hughes, who insists he does not oppose long sentences for serious crimes, argues that the answer is to halve the 85,000 prison population by dramatically reducing the number of short sentences. Last year, 60 per cent of women sent to prison were sentenced to six months or less – up from a third since 1993.

The Liberal Democrats’ former deputy leader has responsibility for women’s prisons and is pushing a pilot scheme in the North West aimed at ensuring more community sentences through close liaison between the police and local authorities. He judged it a “huge success” and hoped it will eventually go nationwide.

He would like to extend the same approach to men. But he does not have overall responsibility for prisons and so faces a roadblock in the shape of Chris Grayling, his Conservative departmental boss as Justice Secretary.

But you are a disgrace sir!What a bloody cheek "close liaison between the police and local authorities" and conspicuously no mention of probation at all!

“I have no complaint about the way we discuss things around the ministerial table,” said Mr Hughes. “My voice is listened to. I make my arguments. I win some, I don’t win them all.” He enjoys some power to block – and scuppered David Cameron’s plan to double the maximum jail term magistrates can impose to one year.

What a fairy story! Your time is up Mr Hughes. Just go!Yours sincerely,Jim Brown

38 comments:

However, very regrettably I doubt that it will make any difference to Hughes - yesterday I heard a BBC report explaining how although nationally LibDem MPs are collectively unpopular, individually many of them are secure in their own constituencies and that is what they are relying on. Not many LibDems were said to have much regard for Clegg but out of self interest they will not dump him.

I hope I am wrong - but Hughes has a VERY thick skin - just remember the 'blooding' he got when first elected and Peter Tatchell was a by-election opponent.

If Hughes had real integrity - he would have spoken out long ago, rather than try to save the TR project by rescuing Lord McNally. McNally struggled to justify TR and the Offender Rehabilitation Act which McNally introduced to Parliament on behalf of the whole shameful Conservative and LibDem Government.

I hope I am wrong and the main stream media advance your fully justified and very reasonable argument but judging by the coverage the unravelling of the Preferred Bidder swap in Warwickshire and the West Midlands has gotten - I do not think they care yet.

There is now an horrendous catastrophe that has happened that will attract full strength media attention which might be somehow connected with TR - for the sake of the individuals possibly involved at the front-line, I hope not although little detail of the horror in South Wales has yet been publicised - though as it seems no direct perpetrator is alive to be prosecuted - news is likely to come out sooner than normal - there might even be some today.

I remember that Simon Hughes put it around in the Bermondsey that he was the 'straight choice' and years later after denials, said he himself was not easy to 'pigeon hole' as he had relationships with men and women, Ah well, that's some politicians for you..

Brilliant letter JB. However, my heart goes out to colleagues in S Wales and of course that poor woman who lost her life, and to her family and friends-although I note she was in a hostel for the homeless, and so maybe there is no body there for her in death, as in life! Sadly, this applies to a large number of our clients and the cleaners and cooks will find this out to their eternal shame!

Grayling always goes quiet and stays out of the media prior to some scandalous relevation.His failure to give any response to Hughes critisism only makes me believe more that my theory is true.I think very soon there will be news that Grayling is in more hot water at the MoJ.

And bidders may like to read this article.With the TR contract also comes all the liabilities. Claims wont be against the MoJ, but against those with the contract. Hope you've remembered to cost it into your bid!

It's very clear that our current service users will up the stakes when private providers are in charge. But I am sure at they will have factored in the relevant insurance to mitigate against such losses and will already have been told how much the government have been paying out in each contract area.

Hughes has never been anything but an opportunist since the by election he won against Peter Tatchell when he was accompanied everywhere by his "fiancée" in an election dominated by a media campaign which focused only on Tatchell's gay rights campaigning.

From talking to collegues in CRC it is clear there will be no honour among thrives and certainly no sharing of good practice! The issue of business confidentality will be central to how they work. This raises another question about the role of HMIP & its CI. I believe the main issue is not around the 30% of CRCs run by his wife (which could eiserly be inspected without the involvement of the CI) but the other 70%! HMIP will have access to business sensitive information about these companies who , in the new TR world, will be in competition with Mrs McDowell company! Now if I was one of those CRCs not managed by sodexo I wouldn't be happy to let HMIP & its CI have knowledge of my business sensitive infomation . In my view it is this area of conflict that the select committee should focus on rather than let McDowell & Grayling come up with some 'ethical wall' between the CI & his wife's business interests.

I recall reading that contracts stipulated that any intellectual property developed within CRCs would automatically become property of NOMS - presumably to force this sharing of the supposedly innovative good practice? Can't imagine anyone developing a new programme within a CRC would be happy about this.

Had notnheared that & as you say can't see providers would be happy. There will also be business interests that are not interlectal properties, such progress against reoffending rates' or general structuring of the business which they would not want competitors to know about but HMIP may well come across in the course of inspection! We could end up with CRCs refusing to provide or allow access to certain aspect of their business. Or may challenge inspection findings (if they weren't happy with them) on the ground's of the conflict of interest! I had initaly thought McDowell would survive but the more I think about it the less likely that seems! I'm sure he won't lose either way as if Grayling gets shot of him he will get a £300k payoff money, money money!!!

Having stated that despite Graylings constant denials the prison system is in fact in a state of chrisis, will you please respond to this statement issued by the MoJ? It is after all your department, but seems to be totally contorary to what you've publically stated?

What is this all about? http://www.co-financing.org/docs/Ethical%20Walls%20-%20NOMS%20CFO%20public.pdfhttps://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=1341065

Last night Napo’s lawyers formally filed the necessary documentation in the High Court to seek Judicial Review (JR) of Justice Secretary Chris Grayling’s plans to award CRC contracts to the preferred bidders under his Transforming Rehabilitation plans on or after the 1st December 2014.

" Cannibal killer's victim had met him in a bar hours just HOURS before he attacked her in hotel room and ate her face while high on cocaine - two weeks after being released from prison "

" Today the probation service was said to be launching an inquiry after it emerged Williams was apparently not being monitored despite being released from prison just two weeks ago following a five-year sentence for an attack on his ex-girlfriend. "

It's My Blog

Welcome to the wonderful world of probation! These are the personal thoughts of an ordinary probation officer struggling to come to terms with constant change, whilst trying to do a useful job for society. Sadly, change is so often obviously not progress. I am fully aware that my views do not represent official policy of government, my Service or possibly anyone else - but hey - it's my blog!

ATV 1962 Windsor Davies

About Me

A grumpy, disillusioned, CQSW trained, generic, main grade probation officer based in a small English town. All my contemporaries have either left, retired or been promoted. Newer colleagues simply don't understand the journey I've been on from advise, assist and befriend. (If there is anyone of similar name in the NAPO handbook, it's not me).